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Brazilian Whistleblower to Kick Off World Cup
9 Jun
Summary
- Wilton Sampaio will officiate the Mexico vs. South Africa World Cup opening match.
- Sampaio's assistants will be Bruno Pires and Bruno Boschilia, both Brazilian.
- FIFA assembled a record pool of 52 referees for the expanded 48-team tournament.
Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio is set to officiate the opening match of the FIFA World Cup, a clash between Mexico and South Africa. He will be supported by his Brazilian compatriots, Bruno Pires and Bruno Boschilia, who will serve as assistant referees for this Group A curtain-raiser. This appointment continues Sampaio's significant presence in international football, following his participation in the 2022 World Cup and his role in the video assistant referee (VAR) team during the 2018 edition.
FIFA has organized a record number of match officials for the current 48-team tournament, comprising 52 referees and 88 assistant referees. However, an exception was made as Omar Abdulkadir Artan of Somalia, who was expected to be the first Somali to officiate at a World Cup match, was denied entry into the United States. Typically, referee appointments for specific games are announced two to three days prior to their scheduled date.
